News and Analysis
Guideline Bets on an “AI Factory” to Reinvent Media Planning
Guideline has unveiled a major expansion of its artificial intelligence strategy with the launch of the Guideline AI Factory, an internal innovation engine designed to accelerate how AI powers its ad intelligence data products and media plan management (MPM) technologies. The initiative marks a shift from standalone analytics capabilities toward embedded intelligence that directly supports […]
TikTok Is Becoming a Core Marketing Channel — Not Just a Social App
TikTok, once known purely for bite-sized content and entertainment, has evolved into a place people go to discover brands, learn what’s trending, and make decisions. With over 1 billion monthly active users globally and 200 million in the U.S.1, it’s become where someone might first hear about a product, look up a service, or decide […]
Study Finds Rewards Drive Bigger Baskets – and Brand Switching
A new 2026 study from XCCommerce found that 46.8% of shoppers buy more than planned or switch brands when redeeming rewards. The data suggests promotions are no longer just loyalty tools. They actively drive incremental spend, especially when offers are simple, timely, and delivered through owned channels like email and text. StreetFight spoke with XCCommerce […]
Commentary
Cookie Loss Didn’t Kill the Web, But AI Overviews Might
The digital advertising industry spent years preparing for the demise of third-party cookies—an event that never fully materialized. But while we were focused on cookies, a much bigger transformation was quietly unfolding: the fundamental shift in how people interact with search engines. AI Overviews. Google’s AI Overviews and AI-driven chatbots are reshaping search behavior in […]
Streets Ahead: Google’s AI Mode and New Full-Width Knowledge Panels
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google CEO, Sundar Pichai’s comments on AI Mode & the future of Google Search as well as the Knowledge Panel /Business Profile redesign. The Future of Google Search – AI Mode The News In a wide-ranging conversation on the Lex Fridman Podcast, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai explored […]
Streets Ahead: Microsoft New Agentic Tools, Apple Maps Recommendations
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Microsoft unveiling over 50 new AI agentic web tools and Apple Maps adding curated recommendations. Microsoft Adds New AI Agentic Web Tools The News At its Build 2025 conference, Microsoft outlined a sweeping strategy to lead the evolution of the “open agentic web,” unveiling more than 50 […]
Latest Posts
MULO Brands With Soul May Pick: Clutch Coffee
We typically profile big multi-location brands in this column, but we were so impressed by this story from Darren Spicer, Co-Founder of Clutch Coffee, that we just had to include it. The brand currently has 20 drive-thru locations in both North Carolina and South Carolina and plans to open five more in the near future. […]
BOOM: Legacy Restaurant Brands Relaunch and Get “Glow-ups”
MULO (multi-location) retailers and restaurants often take their eyes off the ball (or shelves and plates) when planning for the future. We’ve seen many examples of established brands that thrived for decades suddenly closing up shop and declaring bankruptcy. However, we’re also witnessing legacy brands that realize consumer needs are evolving. These brands are coming up […]
Cookie Loss Didn’t Kill the Web, But AI Overviews Might
The digital advertising industry spent years preparing for the demise of third-party cookies—an event that never fully materialized. But while we were focused on cookies, a much bigger transformation was quietly unfolding: the fundamental shift in how people interact with search engines. AI Overviews. Google’s AI Overviews and AI-driven chatbots are reshaping search behavior in […]
What’s New at Walmart? A Creator Studio!
We’ve heard of SWAS or “stores within stores” (like Sephora at Kohl’s) and “pickleball within malls.” However, something new and powerful has now emerged for creators, at a Walmart in Tennessee. It’s a fully equipped creator studio where brand influencers, entertainers, and other Instagram-famous personalities and TikTok stars can capture content. Create-It Studios is described […]
Real American Beer Supports Live Music
Way back in 1974, The Who single “Long Live Rock” contained the sad refrain, “Rock is dead.” Not if WWE icon Hulk Hogan and his Real American Beer brand have anything to say about it: rock music—along with other genres–is being nourished and thriving through its brand sponsorships that support up-and-coming bands across the U.S. […]
Customer Communication : AI and Omnichannel
A new study by Sinch, a global company specializing in SMS marketing, reveals that consumers have particular views on the rapid pace of AI integration in customer communication. The 2.8 consumers surveyed expect consistent, secure, and personalized experiences across all channels, including SMS, email, chat, and voice. A significant 58% of consumers are accepting of […]
Streets Ahead: Google’s AI Mode and New Full-Width Knowledge Panels
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google CEO, Sundar Pichai’s comments on AI Mode & the future of Google Search as well as the Knowledge Panel /Business Profile redesign. The Future of Google Search – AI Mode The News In a wide-ranging conversation on the Lex Fridman Podcast, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai explored […]
Broadsign Makes Advances in DOOH Buying
Broadsign wanted to cut lengthy buying cycles in DOOH (digital out-of-home), and now it can with the launch of a new product called Broadsign In-Advance. Its first customer is now WPP Media in the Netherlands, which tested the new capability to secure DOOH ads across the Netherlands via OutMoove. The technology enables media buyers to […]
BOOM: MULO Health & Wellness
Despite Weight Watcher’s recent bankruptcy, the MULO (multi-location) health and wellness ecosystem—and the consumers who spend there—is booming. Weight Watchers jumped on the weight loss drug bandwagon, but it may have been too late for the iconic brand, founded in 1963. So, other than looking for miracle injections, where else are today’s consumers going to […]
MULO Hotel Brands Go Glamping
We recently wrote about how many multi-location (MULO) hospitality brands are getting into the extended-stay space to meet the needs of business travelers, digital nomads, and other transient professionals. Not only major hotel brands providing these creature comforts but they are also putting guests closer to real creatures with their entrance into the glamping (upscale […]
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